When soft tissue, such as tendons and ligaments, are torn away from the bone, surgery may be required to repair the tear. Typically, a suture member is threaded through the torn tissue and through a tunnel drilled in the bone mass. The suture material is drawn up and tied so that the torn tissue lays adjacent the bone mass in proper position to heal.
A number of assemblies have been provided to anchor tissue to a bone mass. These devices are usually attached to the bone mass through the use of open incisions or, sometimes, arthroscopic surgical techniques. Arthroscopic surgery is advantageous compared to the use of open surgery because of the decreased pain and quicker recovery period. However, the invention may be used advantageously with open surgery as well.
The various assemblies used for attaching soft tissue to the bone include screws, staples, suture anchors, cement, and sutures alone. The suture anchor is a small device, typically insertable arthroscopically through a cannula to the repair site to anchor the suture to a bone.
That is, a suture is passed through the soft tissues and inserted into a suture anchor in the base. Such a suture anchor assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,419. This suture anchor assembly includes two main components: an anchor sleeve, which can have a closed pointed drill end or be totally cylindrical in shape, ribbed, or threaded on its exterior for attachment to the bone; and a spike or plug with one end that allows for easy puncturing of soft tissue and a second end for attachment of the suture material. The pointed first end of the spike or plug allows it to be insertable to the sleeve, which sleeve has been inserted into the bone.
A second device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,704 and includes a suture anchor assembly, including a suture anchor and a tool for deploying the suture anchor in the bone. The suture extends from and is anchored to the bone. The suture anchor has a drill portion and a thread portion, and a suture attachment portion distal to the pointed portion.
None of the prior art provides for a suture anchor that includes a reel portion adjacent suture-receiving walls in a manner that allows the threading of the anchor member into the bone while the suture material simultaneously winds around the reel portion of the suture anchor to draw up the suture and the corresponding soft tissue to which the suture is engaged so as to selectively position the soft tissue adjacent the bone.
None of the prior art shows a reel portion capable of providing an interference fit of suture between the bone and anchor.
Applicant provides a unique suture anchor, including a reel portion thereon, a unique method of using the suture anchor to selectively position, by rotation of the suture anchor and gathering the suture material on the reel portion thereof, the suture bearing tissue, and a novel kit providing a suture anchor and a tool for rotating the suture anchor. Applicant's device may be used without the necessity of tying suture knots arthroscopically or, indeed, may be used without tying suture knots at all.
Applicant's novel suture anchor, method, and kit overcome problems encountered in prior art suture anchors and provide a relatively easy method of arthroscopically reattaching torn or displaced tissue to a bone mass.